PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE:  This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite past-time – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

For three years now, I have been looking for a way to describe Donald Trump.

He stands, I posit, as the worst president in U.S. history because he functions in the Oval Office as a reality TV show host with no limits on what he says or does.

He even says he could shoot someone in Times Square and no one could touch him.  He adds that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives him authority to do what he wants without limits.

Does that mean that everything he does, happens to do, or occurs on his watch is wrong?  No.

It’s just that he is looking for credit, not the good result for ALL Americans.

Now, one more point.  This blob does not on focus either of two or three major issues currently roiling this country – impeachment, the near-war with Iran or the so-called peace deal for Israel and the Palestinians (which struck some observers as more of a PR stunt than a peace overture).

Rather, this blog focuses on the character of the person in the White House, for character still matters in politics.

The basic label that fits Trump is this:  He is a narcissist.

Everything he says or does can be explained by this basic fact:  It serves HIS interest.

According to Dan P. McAdams, psychology professor at Northwestern University, “Senator Ted Cruz once described Donald Trump as a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country’s ever seen.”

That characterization, McAdams continues, echoes what many psychological researchers and therapists have long concluded. Although the American Psychiatric Association strongly discourages mental-health professionals from assigning mental-illness labels to public figures, some clinicians have even suggested that President Trump has narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD.

McAdams goes on:

“But Trump is stranger than any diagnostic category can convey. Narcissism is a psychological construct with profound implications for an individual’s well-being and interpersonal relationships. Personality and social psychologists have done hundreds of studies examining narcissistic tendencies, revealing certain patterns of behavior and outcome.

“In some ways, Trump fits those patterns perfectly. But in at least one crucial respect, he deviates.”

Back in June 2016, McAdams in the Atlantic that “narcissists often wear out their welcome.”:

“Psychological research demonstrates that many narcissists come across as charming, witty, and charismatic upon initial acquaintance. They can attain high levels of popularity in the short term.  As long as they prove to be successful and brilliant, they may be able to weather criticism and retain their exalted status.

“But more often than not, narcissists wear out their welcome.  Over time, people become annoyed, if not infuriated, by their self-centeredness.  When narcissists begin to disappoint those they once dazzled, their descent can be especially precipitous.  There is still truth in the ancient proverb: Pride goeth before the fall.”

Nearly three years into Trump’s presidency, how does this generalization about narcissism hold up for him?  On the one hand, many of the people who have staffed Trump’s administration have learned that he is not the “stable genius” he claims to be.  Disappointed and beaten down, they have left in droves.

On the other hand, Trump has retained the loyal backing of many voters despite scandal, outrage, and chaos.  How is this possible? Why has Trump followed the predictable course for narcissism in one way, alienating many who have served in his administration, and defied expectations in another way, by continuing to attract an adoring core?

A real-life narcissist manages to take his eyes off himself just long enough to find out if others are looking at him.  And if the narcissist has admirers, this makes him feel good.  It temporarily boosts his self-esteem.

Use the following from McAdams to assess Trump.

“Research shows that people high in narcissism tend to show more anger and hostility when challenged or insulted, compared with people low in narcissism. They show sharper mood swings, oscillating between exuberance and negativity.

“As they rage against those who cross them, they make enemies. Many narcissists rise to positions of leadership in various kinds of groups because group members are initially impressed with their confidence and strength, but research shows that many of them turn out to be bad leaders, incompetent and unethical.”

That’s Trump.  Agree with him – in effect, bow before his genius – and then he will say you are great.

Disagree with him and you’ll be the subject of derogatory tweets as he justifies own greatness.

Unfortunately, in the impeachment process, it will not be possible to convict Trump of being a narcissist.

I wish it would be possible because there is a very real question about whether we can survive as a representative democracy led by a person who always equates his own interests with the country’s interests – and they are rarely the same.